The 17th

To say music was the salvation of the 17th would be a blatant understatement. His journey has been driven by events in his personal life that could have slayed the best of men. But, determined to take negatives and turn them to positives, it was music that took a hold and encouraged this Groton, Connecticut native to channel his thoughts. Sharing his name with the seventeenth President of the United States, Andrew Johnson opted to take the 17th as his moniker when he knew that this was his calling.Acknowledging that he writes less when happy, the most thought provoking lyrics come from the 17th when darkness descends. “It’s funny how the dark motivates me when it comes to my music,” he shares. “I sometimes run out of pain and find myself reacting to other people’s hardships and pull inspiration from their stories and lives.”Uniformity is not something he fells he should adhere to. The music of the 17th takes a natural path and goes the way it is meant to go. With him it is all about ‘listening’ and ‘feeling’, traits that are seldom seen in acts today. He is not about force-feeding a message, nor is he about fitting in, and he backs the under dog every time. He relates to it, he thrives on standing out, and is intent on bringing something different to the Hip-Hop table for fans to devour.Not complying with the blueprint of what you hear on the radio or on TV, this MC wants the organic approach to dominate. Thought provoking and intriguing are adjectives that get thrown into the mix when it comes to the lyrical tenacity of the 17th. With solid foundations in place for him to build upon, his name is destined to become synonymous on the music scene. “I think it’s ridiculous when people have a huge life change after a tragedy thinking that they have the purpose to do something great,” he observes. “You should have that purpose regardless of the pity people may feel for you.”His time has come and he is both confident and aptly equipped with an arsenal of metaphors, solid production, and stories to share. He concludes, “I just want to be heard and hope to inspire; forget being labeled by those who choose to categorize and stick things in a box. I’d rather rip the box open and throw it away."